The Troubles We Create
by Sugarbubbleslove
Summary: They create trouble – no matter how good (or bad) the intentions are. A Series of One-Shots. Chapter 2: The Solid Ground Within Insanity: He was tired and she was his rock
1. Chapter 1: I Can Feel Your Heartbeat

Title: The Troubles We Create

Rating: Teen to Mature

Disclaimer: I do not own anyone/anything from the forum Jurassic Park/World. Michael Crichton & Universal Pictures owns Jurassic Park/World and its characters. There is no copyright infringement intended. I do not make any profit/money or take any credit.

Summary: They create trouble – no matter how good (or bad) the intentions are.

Timeline: Books/Movies (Including spoilers of Jurassic World)

Warning: Spoilers of Jurassic World, Relationship, AU,

Author's Notes: These are going to be prompts and ideas based. The chapters are not connected, unless stated otherwise.

Title: I Can Feel Your Heartbeat through My Shirt

Pairings: Claire/Owen

Rating: Teen

Summary: Owen is amused, Claire is flustered, and the Raptors are confused

Timeline: AU of where the Date went well

Warnings: AU, baby raptors, secret relationship

Author's Notes: This idea would not leave me alone so I wrote it

'I Can Feel Your Heartbeat through My Shirt'

Claire Dearing sighed softly, rubbing her cheek against the pillow as soft lingering kisses on her bare shoulder registered. She hummed, her lips curving into a small sleepy smile as she pulled the covers in tighter, shifting backward toward the warmth behind her.

The low chuckles vibrated from his chest to her back as he shifted to his nose, tracing the line of her neck.

"Have a good sleep?" he asked.

"Mm hmm," she nodded, still keeping her eyes close, holding on to the remnants of her sleep.

She could not remember the last time she felt this relaxed, stress free and safe.

A hand slid over her hip, the thumb rubbing gently before it slid over her stomach as he pressed up harder against her back, kissing that spot just behind and below her ear.

Claire's smile broadened as she shifted her head and he kissed her jawline.

"You have work," she reminded him as he tightened his grip and he chuckled again, kissing her neck. "You should leave before you are late."

"Use me, then kick me out of my own bed?" he asked. She could hear the amusement in his tone, could imagine his eyes glinting. "I see how it is."

Her bed partner rolled away from her and she turned over, eager for his heat as she curled up into his side, burying her face into his neck, her nose tucking perfectly into the spot between his neck and shoulder.

She sighed, her arm sliding over his chest before her hand met his and their fingers linked together. He brought their joined hands up, gently kissing the back of hers.

"Are you planning on staying in bed all day?" He asked, his other hand sliding under the cover and caressing her bare back.

"Not a bad idea," she mumbled into his neck, smiling when he chuckled.

"We should do this again," he told her, his fingers following the line of her spine and she kissed his shoulder.

"We should, next time I take the time off," she gently teased him and he laughed, shifting his head so he could press a kiss to her forehead.

"Which will probably be in about…six months? When the boss forces you to take another holiday?"

"Hmm, maybe not," she slowly opened her eyes to meet his curious ones. "I don't know but I think I might be up to spending weekends here." His eyebrows rose as amusement tugged at his lips.

"Really?" he sounded amazed as she nodded slowly. "Well, I will need to see if my schedule is clear – hey!" he jerked as she gently nipped his collarbone and he laughed. "My weekends are clear – unless, of course, the girls decide to act up."

"Hmm, they do come first," she agreed, her thumb rubbing over his finger, her chin on his shoulder as she watched his expression as he sighed, his eyes going to the ceiling. "Are they still acting up?"

"When Hoskins is in the area?" he asked with a humourless laugh. "He keeps pushing for reports on everything we do. We keep telling him that it takes time but he is not quite getting the message."

"Yes, he does strike me as the type of man who does not listen to what he does not want to hear," she murmured. She had the unfortunate pleasure of meeting the man and felt the urge to go for a very hot shower and scrub herself raw.

Owen Grady huffed out a laugh as he turned to face her.

"Understatement," he teased and she rolled her eyes.

"Maybe you will get lucky and he won't stop by today," she reminded him before leaning and giving him a soft kiss. She pulled away only for Owen to shift inward; dropping kisses on her neck.

The desire to give him the day off so they could stay in bed for another day was tempting. However, she knew that they could not do it. "But you won't know unless you go to work.

Owen groaned. "Come on woman, you are killing the mood here."

Claire rolled her eyes as she pulled herself out of his embrace and pushed at his side.

"Owen Grady, get to work before someone fires you," she warned him. Owen huffed as he threw his legs over the side of the bed, the covers pooling around his waist and Claire could see the several of scars on his back.

Owen stood up confidently and she arched an eyebrow, a smile playing on her lips as she watched him walk toward the bathroom naked and shook her head.

He never failed to amaze her and she rolled onto her back, tucking the sheets around her body, already missing his body heat. She chuckled at the thought of telling Owen that.

The sound of running water lulled her back to a light sleep, closing her eyes. The sound of rustling brought her back; slowly opening her eyes to see Owen was dressed and picking up his keys from its spot next to the T.V. He turned to look at her and smiled when their eyes met.

"You know," he walked over to the bed, resting one knee on it as he hovered above her. "Even if someone were to fire me," he dropped a soft kiss on her lips, "You could always protest on my behalf," he gently teased her. She laughed as he kissed her again. He rubbed their noses together when he pulled away. "Aren't you supposed to be back at work today?"

"Half day, actually," she corrected him before giving him a wink. "It gives people time to catch up on what they need to do before I come in."

Owen blinked as he stared at her before he grinned and laughed.

"On that note, I'll be leaving before you fire me for making you late," he told her, pulling away.

"Try and have a good day," she rolled onto her side, pushing her upper body up, to watch him walk over to the door. He looked back at her.

"Missing you already," She rolled her eyes at that. "See you later," he winked before exiting the bungalow and she sighed as she dropped back down onto the bed, her fingers tracing her bottom lip before smiling.

Maybe she should surprise him.

~_Heartbeat_~

Claire exited her car, glancing in the window to fix her hair before she made her way over to the Raptor pen. She nodded to Barry, who greeted her with a knowing smile and nod before he returned to what he was doing.

Owen was in the middle section between the two gates, rifling through his bag for something when Claire spotted the Raptors on the other side of the fence, watching Owen intently before they spotted her.

Blue – the beta – chirped as she looked back at Owen, making the trainer lift his head curiously, looking at his raptors to see Blue return her gaze to Claire.

Owen glanced over his shoulder to meet Claire, she gave him a small smile, and a short nod in greeting as Owen arched an eyebrow, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips before he straightened up.

"Miss Dearing," he greeted with a sly smile that made her heart rate kick up a notch.

"Mr. Grady," she replied just as professionally as Owen opened the gate, allowing Claire pass. He closed it behind her before he gestured for her to follow him over to the other gate.

"How are the Raptors today?" she asked, shifting in closer to see them chittering and chattering to each other.

"Lively," he told her as he crossed his arms. "We played ball with them," a rueful smile crossed his lip, "they burst it."

Claire pressed her lips together to hide her amused smile, clearing her throat and giving him a short nod.

"It sounds like something they would do," she told him, a smile tugging at his lips. "Are they behaving today?"

"Hoskins has not been by," Owen told her, amusement playing in his voice as he turned his head to look at her. Claire swallowed her laughter as she returned her gaze to the Raptors.

"Would you like to come in?" he asked. Claire looked at him, her eyes widening before she looked at the Raptors then back at Owen.

"Are you sure?" she finally asked. Owen frowned. "I mean, you said it yourself, the Raptors are fine with you because of imprinting…why are you smiling?"

"You don't need to come in if you don't want to," he soothed her.

"It's not that I don't want to come in," she hastily corrected him. "I don't want to upset the girls."

Owen held up his hand and she looked at it, confused, before she looked at him. He just smiled, wiggling his fingers and she huffed, shaking her head before she took it.

Owen reached over, pressing the button that allowed the gate before them to rise up. The noise caught the Raptors attention from where they had been pouncing on each other near the ferns.

Owen tugged on Claire's hand, leading the way into the pen. Claire followed him, stepping carefully while tightening her grip on Owen's hand. The Raptors chirped, slowly walking over to them.

"Girls," Owen greeted with a soft smile when they stopped, a little way from the Raptors, giving the girls time to acknowledge Claire. Claire smiled at them nervously from behind Owen. "This is Claire. Be nice."

Claire had seen pictures of the Raptors – Owen did like to show them off. She had also seen the video reports that Owen would pass forward, including her in even though she was not part of the Raptors' future.

They had argued over it but he told her that he trusted her to keep the reports safe just in case In-Gen decided to make a stupid move. She reluctantly agreed and stored the discs away in a safe place – just to be on the safe side.

Blue came forward first, her scales shimmering – almost silver – in the light, the dark blue stripes glittering. She was the beta, the first one born and – even as Owen protested – the one who had stolen Owen's heart when she broke free from her egg.

Delta was the second one, chirping as she moved closer to Blue. She was light green with blue around the eyes, her eyes more bird-like than reptilian.

Echo was third, her bronze scales giving her away. Echo had moved closer to Owen, chirping as she looked up at him before looking at Claire.

Charlie the youngest, her tail whacking Echo, which resulted in a snarl as Echo turned around to snap at the youngest raptor.

"Come on girls," Owen stepped forward to prevent Echo from jumping on Charlie, who squawked, darting closer to Owen's foot while Echo chittered and turned away.

Owen made his way over to the wall, where there was a small enclave and he pulled out a new soccer ball. She shot him an exasperated look, wondering when he was going to learn that the girls were just going to put holes in them.

Claire returned her gaze to the raptors, freezing when she saw they were looking at her curiously. Blue seemed to be unimpressed, levelling a curious glare. Echo and Delta were chirping and chittering to each other while Charlie was looking distressed, her little head swinging between her and Owen.

Claire frowned, curious to what brought upon the sudden change on the raptors.

The little dark green striped raptor hopped a little further in Claire's direction, Claire's eyes following its movement until it stopped just a little way from her.

Charlie sniffed the air in front of her then turned in Owen direction made Claire falter. Charlie chirped as she moved closer to Claire, sniffing again before she looked up at Claire, chittering, and Claire bit her lower lip, flicking a glance at Owen who just watched them curiously, slowly inching his way over them.

Claire returned to the Raptor, who was now at Claire's feet, sniffing then cocked her head in Owen's direction, almost accusingly.

Claire felt the blood drain from her face as understanding dawned on her and she took a step back, freezing again when that gained the Raptors' attention.

 _She smelt like Owen._

It should have dawned on her that the Raptors would have picked up their scent on each other. Since they were used to Owen – due to him being the Alpha – his scent would be stronger.

They had spent most of her holiday together, in his bed. She had not gone home to wash and change, using Owen's stuff as she had the forethought to bring her work clothes to his bungalow.

Claire shot a look at Owen, to see he was standing and his posture was stiff. His eyes glued on Charlie, who was shifting her weight, her tail slowly wagging when she suddenly let out a shriek.

Charlie jumped up and at Claire, causing her to take a step backward as she held up her arms to protect herself only for Charlie to settle on her chest. Claire's hands instinctively grasped the Raptor, holding her close.

Charlie purred as she looked up at Claire with yellow-slit eyes.

"Oh," she was surprised at how light Charlie was; her hand slowly curving around Charlie's back and she felt a weight, glancing to see Charlie had wrapped her tail around Claire's wrist.

Claire looked back at Charlie and gave her a small smile.

"Hi," she greeted breathlessly, partly out of fear. Movement out of the corner of her eyes told her that Owen was slowly making his way over to them.

"Looks like you have a fan," Owen gently teased her.

"Is this okay?" she glanced anxiously at Owen. Owen nodded.

"Its fine," he assured her. "They are used to me handling them so it's interesting that Charlie has gone to you." Claire felt her cheeks heat up before she leaned in.

"I think I smell like you," she told him, her voice low and got that glint in his eyes. "Now is really not the time for those thoughts," she scolded him.

"You don't even know what I'm thinking," he shot back. She scoffed.

"Right, like some dominating part of you doesn't like the idea of me smelling like you." He did not deny it, only pressing his lips together.

Claire returned to Charlie, who was sniffing Owen carefully before she returned to Claire and sniffed at her neck. She let out a confused chitter and Claire slowly brought up one hand, supporting Charlie with the other – that still had the tail wrapped around her wrist – and gently stroked the side of Charlie's neck.

Charlie let out a pleased purr before her head darted forward, grasping Claire's finger in her mouth, her teeth lightly pricking the flesh.

"Hey now, Charlie," Owen pulled Claire's finger from Charlie's mouth then tapped her gently on her nose, making Charlie hiss, her small claws grasping Owen's finger, and he gave Claire an devious smirk, to which she glared right at him but it only served to encourage him. "I'm the only one allowed to bite her."

"Owen!" she hissed, feeling her face heat up. She was grateful she had Charlie in her arms, preventing her from feeling her face to see if it felt hot.

Charlie just purred as she let Owen's finger go, turning back to Claire and nudging her head into Claire's neck, settling in the crook. Claire shot Owen a bewildered look when he mimicked rocking movement.

Her expression turned to exasperation as he urged her then slowly conceded, swaying slowly. She got a pleased chirp from Charlie as she did and Claire shot Owen a baffled look.

"Charlie likes to be held the most," he explained and she sighed before freezing when she sensed something sharp at her chest only to mentally groan as the sound of tearing filled her ears.

Owen quickly crossed his arms, his right hand covering his mouth but she could see the amusement in his eyes and glared at him.

Chirping and chittering caught their attention and they looked down to see that Blue, Echo, and Delta had made their way in between them and they were looking at Charlie.

"Oh no," Claire immediately shook her head at them, "I only have room for one Raptor at a time," she warned them before shot Owen a mischievous smile. "But you know; _Daddy_ has bigger arms than me."

Owen shot her a mock wounded look as the Raptors suddenly turned on him and Claire took delight in seeing the brief panic enter his eyes.

"Oh no, don't even think about it," he warned them. Blue chirped, moving closer to him, cocking her head so she could look at him and Owen sighed.

"Really?" he asked his tone almost plaintively.

"Are you going to deny her?" Claire asked teasingly, getting a suffering look in the process before Owen sighed then lowered himself to his knees.

Claire's eyes widen as she watched him, glaring when he threw her a knowing smirk before settling down on his ass and crossed his legs.

Blue immediately climbed into Owen's lap, her tail curing around his right wrist as she did.

Echo and Delta each hopped on up onto Owen's knee, Delta climbing up his arm using his shirt for support.

"What did I say about using my arm as a ladder?" Owen asked as Delta perched herself on his shoulder, looking pleased.

Echo had decided to try burrowing her way under Owen's waistcoat, much to Claire's amusement, especially when Owen yelped and grasped the little raptor, tugging her away.

"And watch those claws of yours," he warned her as he placed her back on his knee.

Claire slowly knelt down, taking care with the snoozing Charlie in her arms and shifted so she was resting her weight on her left hip, curling her legs up and meeting Owen's gaze.

Delta let out a chirp before she jumped off Owen's shoulder and slammed into Echo, who let out a surprised squawk, as both of them tumbled onto the ground.

Blue lifted her head to see the disturbance before she hissed then lowered her head again when Owen stroked her back.

Charlie stirred while Echo and Delta wrestled on the ground together; Claire resumed stroking Charlie's back before she looked at Owen.

"Is she really sleeping or is she faking it?" she asked. Owen grinned as he moved in closer.

"She's faking." He reached up with his free hand, getting a hiss of protestation from Blue and did something to Charlie that had the Raptor squeaking and hissing, squirming against Claire's chest.

The weight against Claire's arm lighten as Charlie decided that Claire's shoulder made a better place to hide, curling herself around Claire's neck.

Owen shot her an exasperated look while Claire's hand went up to Charlie's back and got a tail wrapped around her finger for her troubles.

"Charlie…" he got a hiss for his effort that Claire had to press her lips together to stop her smile, "Really, you are going to give me that attitude?"

Claire covered her lips as her smile threatened to escape, looking away as Owen nearly pouted.

"Charlie, Mommy has to go to work soon," reminded Owen causing her to look sharply at him.

"Seriously?" she had to protest, " _Mommy?_ "

"You called me daddy," he reminded and she rolled her eyes, turning to look at Charlie. She gently stroked underneath Charlie's jaw.

"You should listen to your _daddy_ ; he _is_ the one who feeds you."

Charlie let out a protesting squawk and gently head-butted Claire's chin.

"Oh yes, make me out to be the bad one here," Owen complained. "And I am not going to withhold food because she is misbehaving right now."

"Maybe if you give her a treat, she'll come down," Claire suggested. The panic crossing Owen's face told her that it was the wrong thing to say as Blue's head immediately popped up, chirping as Echo and Delta stopped wresting and Charlie's head moved closer.

All four of them looked at Owen, who looked at each of his Raptors and shook his head.

"I don't have treats on me," he warned them but it did not stop the three of them from advancing on him while Charlie chirped excitedly. "I don't have treats!"

"How do you not?" Claire asked, remembering how Owen complained about always having to keep treats on him.

"They tore into my pocket, where I kept the treats," he explained, "I never got round to fixing it."

Claire arched an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Really," his expression was one of suffering as Blue climbed up onto his thigh, nudging at his pockets. "No treats girls, I swear." He held up his hands only to roll his eyes when Delta and Echo joined Blue.

A bag dropped down next to Owen, startling them as Charlie screeched, darting back under Claire's hair while Blue hissed at the offending object, her back arching while Delta and Echo ran around Owen.

"Relax," Owen assured them with amusement. "It's just a bag." Claire looked up to see Barry was above them on the walkway, giving them a knowing look before he wandered away.

Owen grabbed the bag and opened it. He smiled, turning the bag around so Claire to see the treats and she chuckled.

"Looks like it's your lucky day, girls," Owen grabbed some treats, tossing them to the girls – who made themselves busy – before holding Charlie's out. "Come on Charlie, you don't get a treat unless you come down."

Charlie protested, her head peeking out from Claire's hair. Owen smiled, waving the treat. "Come on, sweet girl." He got a chirp as Charlie edged herself out onto Claire's shoulder, her hand going to support Charlie.

Charlie turned to look at Claire, who smiled encouragingly.

"Go on, you know you want the treat," she told Charlie. Charlie looked between the two of them before dropping down from Claire's shoulder to her thigh then dropped onto the ground.

Owen gave the treat to Claire, who handed it to Charlie, watching as Charlie grasped it in her claws and started tearing into it.

Owen got up, dusting off his jeans before he held out his hand to Claire, who smiled softly.

Claire took Owen's hand, pushing to her feet as Owen pulled her up and brushed the dirt away from her black skirt. Charlie wound her way around Claire's ankles before she darted off into the fern and Claire watched her go.

"Let's go, _mommy_ ," Owen teased and she turned to glare at him.

"Hush you, _daddy_ ," she taunted back as she walked past him to the gate. Owen chuckled as he followed her, closing the gate behind them before they walked over to the other one. Owen opened it, allowing Claire to step through before he followed her.

"Back to work?" he asked and she nodded.

"I should, before everyone thinks they are free for another day," she told him. "And I am sure I have a mountain of paperwork to go through. No doubt yours will be half of it."

Owen placed his hand over his heart.

"You wound me," he told her, getting a soft laugh from her as they made their way over to her car when Claire caught sight of her reflection in the window, seeing the tear in her shirt, near her breast and scoffed as she turned around to see the amused face of the trainer.

"Jacket," she held out her hand. Owen grinned as he pulled his black suit-jacket through the window from his Jeep and handed it to her. She pulled it on, fastening it at the waist.

It was big on her but it would do her until the end of the day. It was better than walking around with a tear in her shirt at the chest area, thanks to little Charlie.

"I'm surprised no-one has called me out on having a suit-jacket in my car," Owen told her as he stepped closer to her, his eyes wandering over her body before meeting her eyes with that smile.

"Maybe they think you are trying to impress someone," she suggested.

He arched his eyebrows, "Oh, really?"

"Or they just don't realise you have a suit-jacket because you don't seem like the type," she added.

"Well, lucky for you, I do have one and carry it around," he told her. She bit her bottom lip, enjoying the way his gaze dropped down. She slowly let it go and his eyes darkened.

"Lucky for me," she agreed as she stepped in closer, their bodies barely brushing, "For having a Raptor Trainer that is so thoughtful."

"What can I say?" he gave her his adorable shrug, "I live to please you." She arched her eyebrow, a smile tugging at her lips.

"To please me, Mr. Grady?" she asked, drawing out his surname. He leaned in, his smile turning cocky.

"I didn't hear any complaints last night."

"Hmm," she purred before she took a step back causing him to falter for a moment before he quickly regained his balance.

"And on that note, I should get back to work before people think I am taking another day off," she reminded him, turning on her heels and walking over to her car.

"Of course," he agreed, passing her to reach her car door and he opened it for her. She felt her cheeks heat up as she stood next to the door, glancing backward to make sure no one was watching them.

Claire looked back at Owen to see he was doing the same before he leaned in.

"See you tonight, Miss Dearing?" She pressed her lips together.

"See you tonight, Mr. Grady." She stepped into her car; he closed her door for her, and switched on the engine, driving away. She looked in the rear-view mirror to see Owen was grinning and she smiled in response.

'Heartbeat'

Claire made her way through the hallway, giving her assistant, Zara, a smile, and a nod before handing her one of the two coffee cups she had bought. Zara smiled in return, taking the coffee before she returned to her duties.

Claire made her way into the office where her boss was already waiting for her, watching the screen of Owen playing with the Raptors.

"Ah, Miss Dearing," Simon Masrani greeted with a smile when he turned to see her. Claire gave him a short nod as she came to stop next to him. "Mr. Hoskins had forward the latest reports regarding the Raptors. He is impressed with Mr. Grady's dedication."

"Mr. Grady has worked hard with them," she agreed as the camera focused on Owen feeding the Raptors while talking to them, his voice low so the camera could not pick up what he was saying.

"I see you have bonded with the Raptors as well." Claire froze, her smile turning fixed as she slowly pivoted on her heels to look up at the man.

"Excuse me, sir?" she asked. Simon merely gave her a knowing smile.

"Mr. Hoskins was keen to inform me that the Raptors had taken a shine to you," Simon explained and Claire curled her nails into the palm of her hands. If she ever met that man again, she was going to- "I must admit, I was surprise to find that Mr. Grady had introduced you to the Raptors but I am pleased to see that his training is going well."

"The Raptors have taken a shine to him," she agreed. "Mr. Grady is taking all the precautions for when they get bigger but right now, they are quite happy to have him in the pen with them."

"Yet he still insists he does not control them," Simon pointed out and she nodded as she turned to look at the screen.

Owen was currently kicking a football toward Charlie, who screeched delightedly and pounced on it before her claws broke through and the ball burst beneath her.

Claire covered her smile with her cup at Owen's frustrated expression.

"Mr. Grady says it is mutual respect between them. They will listen to him, but only him. They are tolerant of Barry, his second-in-command. They do not listen to anyone else though."

"And you," Simon corrected as video switched. She turned to see herself on the screen, holding Charlie, smiling as Charlie buried her face into Claire's neck.

"Ah," she was going to kill Hoskins, she made up her mind. "I believe that was just a one-time thing."

"Oh?" Simon sounded far too causal for her liking as she raised the coffee cup back to her lips, taking a sip, "I was under the impression, since you are dating Mr. Grady," She spluttered on her coffee, hissing as it went down the wrong way, "that they saw you as the Alpha's mate – Are you alright?" He turned, concerned.

Claire waved him off, giving him a smile that she was sure came out as a grimace.

"I am sorry, did you say ' _Dating Mr. Grady_ '?" she asked. Simon nodded. "I-" She was bewildered.

"Oh, I am sorry. Was it a secret?" he asked. She was speechless as she stared at her boss and he smiled. "I have no problem with it, Miss Dearing. You and Mr. Grady have kept your personal life out of your work life."

"I…yes," She finally nodded. "We have been dating for nearly a year now."

"Ah, see! I had believed you had been dating for a few months. That is a testament to your ability to keep your personal life separated from your work."

Claire cleared her throat, giving him a strained smile as she returned to the screen, this time Hoskins was talking to Owen and she noticed that Delta was in the background, her eyes sharp.

' _Good girl_ ,' Claire thought as she took another sip of her coffee, this time carefully. She wondered if Delta had noticed Owen's displeasure of dealing with Hoskins or she just simply did not like the man herself.

"Mr. Grady and I had decided that it was best not to let our personal lives get in the way of our workplace." She explained. "I am his boss, even though he was hired by Hoskins and, by extension, In-Gen."

Simon nodded his understanding, his brown eyes locked on the screen as Owen and Hoskins exchanged words. It was not hard to see that Owen was visibly unhappy with Hoskins.

Claire did not think Hoskins' friendly attitude was making the situation any better. He kept patting Owen's shoulder, eliciting a sharp frozen glare with each touch and she wondered how much effort was it was taking to prevent Owen from punching the man.

"I never did understand why Mr. Grady chose to work with the Raptors when he clearly does not like the man," Simon spoke up, mostly to himself.

"Owen likes a challenge," she muttered mostly to herself then took another sip of her coffee when she saw Simon look at her from the corner of her eyes, keeping her own gaze trained on the screen.

"Ah, I see," a soft chuckle came from the man before he turned fully to her, causing her to turn her head to meet his gaze curiously.

"I gather you had a good holiday," he told her and she smiled.

"Yes, it was nice to relax for a while," she agreed and he smiled.

"And I hope that I will not need to force you to take a holiday again," he pointed out. She laughed softly.

"No, you don't," she agreed. Simon gave her a pleased smile, glancing at the screen for a brief moment.

"Please, do let me know if you ever wish to bond with the Raptors again, it would be interesting to see how they react around you," Simon told her, giving her a small nod before he left her office.

Claire exhaled slowly before she returned to screen in time to see Owen turn to look at the Camera, grinning brightly with his raptors surrounding him and she smiled.

No, taking a Holiday had not been a bad idea and maybe the next time she should spend it with Owen at the Raptor pen.

The End

The Raptors' behaviours was inspired by the Jurassic Park Novel (which made my heart melt again when I re-read it)


	2. Chapter 2: The Solid Ground Within

Title: The Solid Ground within Insanity

Pairings: Claire/Owen

Rating: Teen

Summary: He was tired and she was his rock

Timeline: Pre-Jurassic World (and somewhat sequel to 'I can feel your heartbeat through my shirt'

Warnings: Fluffy to the point of a sweet tooth?

Author's Notes: This is a mixture of the books and the movies regarding the backgrounds

'The Solid Ground within Insanity'

If anyone were to tell him that he would have been training Raptors, he would have taken that seriously. The original Jurassic Park did make the headlines.

The families had refused to be silent. Even with the clause of keeping quiet on the situation, rumours had leaked out and eventually had made big news.

Especially with the T-Rex rampaging through San Diego, after the _brilliant_ idea of bringing the animals back to open an attraction there.

If someone were to tell him that he would have been attracted to the Park Operation Manager the moment he had met her, he would have laughed in his or her faces.

He had not been looking for an attraction to anyone, not after the Navy. He just wanted to get home and to recover.

Relationships were not for him. Relationships meant to be about mutual respect between two people but he found that people had a hard time letting their control go when it came to relationship.

Ironically, his degrees in understanding behaviour were the reason why he had a hard time keeping a relationship.

Victor 'Call Me Vic' Hoskins had approached him shortly after his return and had offered him a job as a behaviourist expert to work with the Raptors they had planned on hatching.

Owen had been curious at first, wondering why they were bringing in Raptors so he had decided to dig a little deeper.

He had spoken to Alan Grant, who had an admiration for the animals, claiming they were intelligent – more intelligent than people wanted to believe – and a good dose of healthy fear. These Raptors were not to be underestimated.

They were a pack animal – something Owen could relate to – and they could kill without hesitation or remorse.

This had led to deep discussions. Alan had mentioned that John Hammond, the original Park Owner, had wanted to be present for every birth in the Hatchery, saying they imprinted on the first being them came into.

Alan had his doubts at the time since the DNA they had used were reptiles, not avian, but he could not deny that once a Raptor had taken a liking to someone, they were friendly.

Alan recounted the baby Raptor they had met, how it had taken a shine to Tim – John Hammond's grandson – to the point it would like cuddles then pointed out that the older Raptors had killed the baby. Alan had believed it was down to the fact the Raptors had no guide, no teacher to help teach them.

Mind made up – Owen had taken the job. He had always liked a challenge, there was nothing more rewarding than getting your hands dirty and seeing the results for yourself.

Once he was hired, he had dug deep into the archives, finding files from Robert Muldoon regarding the first Raptors they had bred. Reading the reports on how they moved the Raptors from a large area to a small one had caused Owen to shake his head.

Reading about how the 'Big One', they had nicknamed, had become Alpha by killing most of the Raptors, he had realised they had misunderstood when it came to the Raptors. One could not just put them all in a room and expect them to work together.

Of course, he had not just looked at the Raptors; he looked into the background of why the first park had failed in the first place, which led him to be concerned that they might have been biting off more than they could chew.

He was also concerned with the fact that Henry Wu was the one in charge of bringing the Dinosaurs back, considering he had been the one in charge in the original Park.

So Owen did what he did best, he made himself a nuisance.

Henry Wu had not appreciated Owen bringing up the original Park, stating that everything was different this time round. He was no longer using Frog DNA – which was a good thing since that had contributed to the animals changing gender.

Owen had asked if it was possible for him to be there at the hatching – once they started making the Raptors – and Henry had been reluctant at first until it was revealed that the programme was not going to move forward until Owen was 100% on board with the plan.

They had worked it out. The Raptors would have Avian DNA, so they were closer to their actual ancestors but seeing the other dinosaurs, Owen doubted that they would have their feathers.

They would inform him when the eggs were ready and he would spend time in the hatchery, talking to the eggs and being there when they break out so the imprinting would work. (He had heard that babies could hear voices from their mothers' wombs so he figured it would similar to eggs).

Then he met Claire Dearing.

It was _ridiculous_ how attracted he had been to her the moment he saw her. Everything about her screamed ' _control_ ', he should have wanted to walk the other way but he found himself walking toward her, taking in the sight.

She wore a simple black skirt that reached her knees – he saw those _shoes_ , adjusting his jeans as he did – and a light blue shirt, which brought out the blue in her eyes. Her hair was perfectly straight, shiny, and red.

He had never wanted to touch hair that bad before and had shoved his hands into his pockets in an attempt to keep him from reaching out and making a fool out of himself.

She had greeted him so professional – _Mr. Grady_ – that for the first time, he did not look over his shoulder to see if his Father was standing behind him.

"Owen," he corrected, holding out his hand. She gave him a smile and slipped hers in his, shaking it.

She was smaller than he was - even in heels - but she oozed a commanding presence. This was not a woman to screw over and she was not a woman who would not sway easily.

He had confessed to her about his fears of the Park, how he had spoken to Alan regarding the mistakes of the original Park. She had taken it all in her stride, making notes before she offered to show him around so he could get a better understanding of the place.

He had to admit that he was impressed – and he was not an easily impressed man – with the changes from the original Park.

Claire had made sure that the fences connected to a system of its own, preventing accidental or intentional switch off. She had not wanted a repeat of the previous park.

Each species had their own handlers, allowing them form a bond and to make things easier on the animals (although she had called them Assets at the time – he had managed to subtly get her out and to see the animals for what they were – live breathing creatures, not numbers on a spreadsheet).

Then it came down to talking about the Raptors. Claire had told him that she knew of the reports and that she had protested against having the Raptors, fearing what would happen if they were to escape.

Owen explained his plans for them. He was going to imprint on the raptors and allow them to grow up together as a pack, and how to create a paddock for them that was large enough for them to run around in yet was enough so that they were able to keep an eye on the Raptors.

It had not eased Claire's fears but she reluctantly allowed the programme to go through, even though she did not really have a choice in the matter as it was In-Gen pushing for the programme.

They had both talked about it late into the nights whenever they had to pull an all-nighter, wondering what the real reason why they wanted to push for the Raptors.

There did not seem to be any profit in it since Owen was not sure that he could even imprint on the Raptors. Even if he did, he doubted that he would be able to tame them enough for them to perform in front of an audience.

Owen had asked her if she would be willing to work with him regarding the Raptor's pen. She had been reluctant at first, since she was just the Park Operator, but he had managed to appeal to her 'controlling' side by saying it would be better if she was involved then it would mean that he was not hunting her down to justify everything, and to get her signature on every document that needed her attention.

Not that Owen was complaining about being around her. She was quick witted. She always had some sharp jab to return to him whenever he said something.

He enjoyed the way her eyes flashed and the way she straightened, turning frosty whenever someone said something that pissed her off enough.

He had the pleasure of seeing her turn icy on Victor Hoskins when he said something to Claire. Even to this day, he still did not know what it was that Hoskins had said but he had no doubt it was something sexist.

The man did call the raptors boys; no matter how many times everyone had tried to correct the Head of Security Operation.

It was late at night, during one of the reports, that he asked her out. She spluttered into her red wine then stared at him for a long moment before she asked him to repeat the question.

Grinning with amusement, he repeated the question and she accepted. He had been shocked at her acceptance, partially expecting her to come up with an excuse about how they could not date and he had been prepared to laugh it off if she had rejected him.

The first date had been a disaster.

Claire had shown up with an itinerary, he had shown up wearing board-shorts. Miscommunication had gotten in the way and it resulted in an awkward date until the end of the night when he pulled her in for a kiss.

Claire had been startled before she melted against him and when they broke apart, he asked if they could have a second chance at the date. She agreed. This time – it went better. Thankfully.

Claire was the one thing that kept him sane while surrounded by idiots who did not quite know when to back off.

The sound of hissing broke Owen out of his thoughts and he turned his head to see Blue settle in her halter.

The girls were getting bigger, they were not near the adult size the scientists have set for them, but they now reached his hips. Owen had gotten flexible halters installed, easy to adjust to the Raptors' heights.

"Morning girl," Owen squatted so he was at eye-level with her.

Blue purred as he ran his hand over her neck, checking her for any signs of infection or injuries. She seemed fine – and he knew that she would make a fuss if she was injured – but he was still cautious because they were still an unknown with every age they reached.

Charlie and Echo were happy, chittering, and chirping to each other when Delta let out a low growl, her halter rattling.

Blue joined in, her own growl adding to cacophony that Owen had to sigh. He had _just_ gotten the girls to calm down enough for them to come in for their check-up.

Barry sighed as he straightened from where he was near Delta, knowing it was useless to calm her down and both of them turned to see Hoskins was walking – if one could call it that – to the cage door.

"Owen!" He greeted, that smile on his face. Owen did not bother to smile back. There was no point; everything just went over the other man's head.

"Hoskins," he walked over to the gate, placing his hands on the bars. The girls were still growling low behind him. He had to admit he was worried about his girls' reaction to Hoskins, especially Delta.

He had no idea if the girls were noticing his obvious dislike of the man or if they had their own hatred toward him. They were smart so he did not put it past them.

"How are they doing?" Hoskins asked, peering around the bars to look at the girls. "They are spitfires, are they not?" He chuckled at his own joke. At least, Owen hoped it was a joke.

"They are doing fine," he told Hoskins, "Having their regular check-ups."

"You haven't been sending as much reports as before," Hoskins eventually looked at Owen, "Any particular reason?" Owen shrugged.

"There hasn't been much to report," he told him. "The girls' rates are progressing nicely. They have no infections and they seemed to be getting along well."

"Huh," Hoskins nodded. "Dr. Wu told me that the scientists have not been able to access the raptors."

"What can I say? The girls have an aversion to the docs," he explained. "They do have teeth and are not shy about using them." Hoskins laughed and Owen pressed his tongue into his cheek at the 'joke' before he looked over his shoulder to see Delta's eyes narrow.

She was hissing, her throat rippling whenever she growled and he could almost imagine her claws curling in anticipation of ripping something to shred.

Owen looked back at Hoskins when his laugher died down.

"Listen, I am here to talk about the field test." Owen nodded, already expecting it. "The bosses really want how the Raptors perform, to see the majestic teamwork."

"Yeah," Owen shook his head, "I don't see that happening anytime soon." Hoskins' smile slipped. "Like I said, the Raptors have their own ideas. They are really not ready for a field test."

"You've been training for them for this," Hoskins reminded and Owen nodded.

"I know but it doesn't mean they will be ready on the spot," he pointed out. "They are Raptors, not _dogs_."

"Maybe if you were to give them an incentive," Hoskins suggested and Owen clenched his jaw together. He knew very well what kind of incentive In-Gen wanted him to give the Raptors.

"Yeah, not happening," he gave Hoskins a fake grin as the smile slipped completely from Hoskins' face. "I taser those girls, they are never going to trust me again and I can guarantee you, you don't want that."

"Maybe we should get the Park Operation Manager involved. She might be able to give you an _incentive_." He ignored the remark.

"I think _Miss Dearing_ has enough to deal with, don't you?" he asked. "Beside, Miss Dearing has nothing to do with the Raptors."

"Her bonding with them says different," Hoskins reminded him and Owen clenched his teeth.

"That has nothing to do with In-Gen," he reminded forcefully. "The Raptors like her but it doesn't mean they will listen to her." Hoskins laughed as if the idea had was preposterous and Owen rolled his eyes, turning to look when Charlie started squawking.

 _Really not the best time, sweet girl._ Charlie was protective of Claire, and any mention of Claire's name usually brought Charlie running. It was adorable – not that he would ever mention it to Claire.

"Of course they are not going to listen to her, she is a woman after all," Hoskins reminded, still laughing.

 _Maybe he should just let the girls run free_ , he thought venomously before he reminded himself that the girls might not like the taste of Hoskins. Besides, they could be sick.

Charlie growling low in her throat told him that he should really get Hoskins to leave before they became even more restless.

"You know, I'll send you the latest report," Owen told him as he pushed away from the gate and grabbed the cloth from his back pocket, seeing the grease on his fingers. "But I need to get back to the girls and finish the check-up."

"Owen-"

"They are getting restless, and when they get restless, they become annoyed, and then they stop listening," he listed off with a shrug. "See you later."

Hoskins gave a brief laughed as he thumped the bar before he nodded and walked away. Owen sighed as he stepped back, watching as Hoskins got into his car, and drove off before he shook his head, turning around to look at the Raptors.

"If Hoskins does not back off, I am going to punch him," Owen growled under his breath as he viciously rubbed the cloth over his fingers.

"Is he still pushing for a field test?" Barry asked from where he was stroking Delta, murmuring to her in French.

"Yep, he thinks since I can 'control' the Raptors, they will listen to him." He fought the urge to cackle insanely. It was an _insane_ idea. He had vented to god knows how many people yet In-Gen still insisted on the damn idea.

Raptors were not dogs; one could not just train them and throw them into the wilds. Raptors were wild; he could calm them but only to a certain point. He knew if they were ever to send the Raptors out into the field – they would kill everyone, friend and foe.

Moreover, he did not want his girls to be under fire. He had having a hard time getting ACU to hold off with their guns whenever the girls acted up. Hoskins had advised using tasers but Owen knew; he would lose all trust and respect he had built with them over the years.

"Does he want to bring Claire in to it?" Barry asked, getting a chirp from Charlie.

"Yeah, thinks she has influences over when the Raptors have their field test. I set him straight."

"And the reports?" he asked. Owen sighed as he nodded, shoving the cloth back into his pocket.

"I told him that the girls haven't done anything that interesting to warrant a new report. And I doubt In-Gen would want to read the same thing over and over again." An idea came to him. "Do you think we could get away with photo-copying the reports and just changing the dates?"

"I think Claire would have a problem with that," Barry told him with a chuckle. Owen grinned before he sighed, rubbing the back of his head and moved over to Charlie, who looked at him.

"Yeah, she'd probably give me a lecture on authentic reports, and not pissing off my bosses, right girl?" he stroked Charlie, who purred, happily. Barry laughed as he finished with Delta, giving her a pat before he moved over to Echo.

"Somehow I get the feeling she wouldn't mind you pissing off Hoskins," he shot Owen a knowing look and he grinned back.

"I'm just waiting for her to crack when it comes to him," he admitted. Barry scoffed as he patted Echo, who chirped then he reached up, pressing the button and releasing the shutter behind the raptors, allowing them to exit.

Owen watched them play with each other as they bounded into the ferns before he sighed.

"I should probably get a move on with that report," he said, mostly to himself and Barry grinned. Why was he the one who had to do the reports?

~_Sanity_~

Owen swears the computer hates him. It always seemed to freeze whenever he was trying to save it, which – in turn – would make him panic that he was going to lose everything he had worked up to that point.

Thankfully, the damn report was finished and he had managed to attach it to message, sending it to both Hoskins and Claire.

Owen rubbed the back of his neck as he stepped out of the office and headed over to the pen so he could check on the Raptors when he noticed a surprise.

"Hey," he smiled when he spotted Claire sitting on the floor next to the cage with her laptop on her thighs. Claire blinked as she looked up at him then smiled. "Busy day?" she scoffed as he sat down next to her.

"Never-ending," she admitted with a shake of her head. "The investors want a new attraction and Dr. Wu is coming up with new ideas."

"A new attraction, Dinosaurs not 'wow' enough?"

"Dinosaurs are now of the past – up there with the zoo," she told him in her Park Operation voice – he never told her how much he liked that voice – "So we need to have a new attraction every few years to keep the attendance up." She gave him a bright smile.

"Tell me more," he joked and she rolled her eyes as her smile turned genuine. "So – have they come up with an idea?" She nodded slowly.

"They have – but they are not going to breed her, Owen. They are going to create her."

"Are you serious?" he asked and she shrugged. "They pushed the limit with the Raptors, and you've seen it yourself how intelligent they are." She nodded. "So – what? Bigger, louder, more teeth?"

"All of the above," she confirmed and he arched an eyebrow.

"How big do they plan on making her?"

She shrugged. "That's just it," she bit her lower lip, "The base gene is T-Rex…but they want to make her bigger than the T-Rex."

"Base gene?" he asked, his gut clenching and she nodded.

"Everything else is classified, Owen. I am actually worried about this." She looked worried, the last time he seen her _this_ worried was they talked about preventive measures with the Raptors.

Even though she assured him that she trusted him to know what he was doing, she still worried about them getting out. He knew her nightmares had gotten worse since he told her that In-Gen had plans to use the Raptors as dogs of war.

Claire sighed, resting her head against the wall and he watched her. He wished he could ease her burden of her workload, but she was stubborn and she would not be Claire if she weren't.

A rustling sound broke their silence and they turned to see a familiar raptor emerge from the ferns.

"Charlie," a smile lit up Claire's face when the dark green Raptor appeared at the bars, sniffing eagerly before she spotted Claire and squawked. "She looks really good."

"Still giving me attitude," he told her and she laughed. "I am telling you, you rubbed off on her."

"Better me than Hoskins, right?" she asked, nudging his shoulder with hers. He laughed and nodded. "Did he come by today?" He sighed.

"Did Barry tell you?" he asked. She shrugged.

"Maybe," He sighed. "He still wants them on the field?" he nodded.

"I have no idea what to say anymore. They are not interested in listening. It's like…offering an ice-cream to someone who hates ice-cream." She arched an eyebrow in amusement. "It's useless."

"Mr. Masrani is quite reasonable. You could try talking to him."

"I have," he admitted, resting his head against the wall. "His hands are tied. Even though he was the one to add on the title of 'behaviourist expert' on my job, In-Gen originally hired me to train the Raptors."

Claire frowned as she returned to her laptop, tapping her fingers before he reached over, taking her hand in his.

Her eyes shot over to his and he grinned. They had been good at keeping their relationship on the down low. Even though Barry and Simon knew, and he suspected Zara also knew, they had been careful to make sure no one else knew.

Not that In-Gen could do anything against them if In-Gen were ever to find out about their relationship. Claire had been smart to make sure that Owen justified every item he needed – which involved a lot of paperwork and signatures.

They had been careful to make sure that the other could influence neither of them when it came to decisions. That was the easiest part. He had no impact on the park and she had no impact on his training with the Raptors.

He laced their fingers together and brought it down to his thigh, caressing her finger with his thumb.

Sometimes they needed to hold hands. He had seen it enough time when she stressed herself out when it came to investors and dealing with the demands of the park.

She always took his hand whenever he was stressing out about the Raptors or Hoskins – sometimes, they went together.

However, they had been careful to do it in places where people could not see them but right now, he just wanted to throw caution to wind for a little while. They were safe in the raptor pen, everyone liked Claire, and he knew they would not talk about them.

Claire smiled before she leaned over, resting her head on his shoulder and sighed. He rested his head on top of hers, closing his eyes.

He had not had the chance just to sit down and relax with her since the extra pressure had built up. She had been so busy with her workload and he had been busy with training the girls.

A rustling sound broke him out of his thoughts and he looked to see Delta had joined Charlie and the two of them were playing with a ball that Owen had left in the pen. He had learned to get a tougher ball so it would last longer with the girls.

"You learned," she noticed, amusement playing in her voice. He chuckled as he turned and kissed the side of her head, watching as she watched them.

"Yeah, they got to that stage they weren't playing with the ball anymore," he admitted. "Charlie would just bat it with her snout before moving on." Claire laughed as she turned to face him then her smile faded into concern.

"You look tired," she told him. Owen scoffed.

"Must be looking in the mirror," he gently teased her, getting an eye-roll for his effort. He squeezed her hand gently. "I think the reports are going to drive me insane."

"I know," she turned her laptop so he could see his report on the screen. He stared at it for a moment then groaned.

"I put the wrong date in?" he demanded.

"You are tired, Owen," she reminded him. "And I am so tired that I can't even be bothered to correct it." Laugher bubbled free from her, tired and strained.

"You know what I was thinking about earlier?" he asked. She arched an eyebrow, curious. "When I first met you," Her lips tugged at the corner, "Then our first date," he leaned in with a devious smile, "Then our first night." She rolled her eyes, a flush pinking her cheeks.

"Really?" she leaned in so their noses were inches away from each other. He could almost brush their lips together but he refrained.

He liked it when they teased each other, liked seeing her eyes glitter with deviousness, liked seeing that smile playing on her lips as she pressed them together, trying to stop it.

"Really," he confirmed, smiling.

"Hmm, just where did these thoughts take you?"

"What you were wearing. I really like it when you wear high-heels." She laughed.

"Do you even have the energy to get me worked up?" she ran her fingers up and down his chest as she brushed their noses together. "I wouldn't want you to promise me something now only not to deliver later."

"When have I ever failed?" he asked, sliding his hand along her hip and tugging her in closer, taking care of her laptop."

"Hmm, good question," her voice dropped to a whisper and he leaned in, eager to taste her lips when the sound of purring caught their attention. They turned to see the Raptors were watching them with interest. Owen cleared his throat as Claire coughed then pressed her lips together as she looked back at him.

Owen merely nodded in defeat and frustration.

"I think I better put the girls to bed," he told her, Claire chuckled, pulling away from him and nodding.

"I'll wait for you," she told him.

"Yeah?" he asked and she nodded.

"I haven't seen you in ages," she told him and he nodded. "We've been so busy." She rubbed his shoulder. "I just want to spend some time with you. No work, no Hoskins, and no phone calls – unless it is the girls. Just us and a bottle of bubble."

He stared at her for a moment then burst out laughing and leaned in, kissing her soundly. She cupped his cheeks and he felt her smile against his lip.

For the first time in ages, he felt grounded and he was glad he met her.

The End


End file.
